The UAE trade hub as a bridge between BRICS and the IMEC

This part of the UAE’s global strategy to hedge against global geopolitical crises.

On Wednesday, negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) were finalised, linking the Emirates with the Eurasian bloc: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. The agreement focuses on boosting trade by eliminating certain tariffs, reducing trade barriers, and enhancing cooperation in key sectors. Previously, the UAE signed CEPA agreements with Russia’s neighbours Serbia and Georgia, both of which have become safe havens for Russian businesses following the war in Ukraine, alongside Dubai. Strategically, these agreements aim to indirectly facilitate Russia's integration into the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) while curtailing its ability to build alternative trade routes. This growing engagement with BRICS reflects an Emirati strategy to diversify its economic partnerships, incorporating Eastern markets into its broader ambition of becoming a regional trade hub.